Some Thoughts On Vocal Poetry Challenges
Do They Have To Be A Hundred Words?
Introduction
This is quite a short piece about the seeming discrepancy between recent Vocal poetry challenge requirements and the actual lack of limits for poetry submissions.
The normal poetry limits:
And a typical recent challenge limit:
The music is "Listen To What The Man Said" by Wings
Further Thoughts
Does the hundred-word limit mean that forms such as ....
- Limerick
- Haiku
- Senryū (川柳)
- Sonnet
- Any sub-100 Word Poetic format
.... will not be considered for the challenge?
In the old days, I would pad out my poetry with an introduction to take the poem/story over a hundred words, but would that be acceptable if you wanted to submit a haiku for the challenge above?
My entries for these challenges are all more than a hundred words for the poetry, although they still have, sometimes, extensive introductions.
I doubt Vocal will read this, but it would be great to get a definitive rule for Challenge Poetry submissions. In the one above, it says any style or structure is allowed, but if the poem is less than a hundred words, will it be disqualified?
Thanks for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
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Comments (10)
Poets has been the only community I can post less than 600 words. Did something change and I was left behind? But I do agree, poetry challenges should be limited at a MAX of 100-200.
Thanks for everyone's comments on here, I have seen Vocal award entries that don't follow the rules because "they pushed the envelope" but I think the hundred-word minimum should be stressed and that it is for the poem only, padding should not count. That's just my opinion
They are probably not considered, because these are below 100 words. Just not stated explicitly.
I agree with Susan. Consistency is only fair. Here is an article you are mentioned in. Never say you are not cherished. https://samsonite-travel-offer.top/motivation/small-win-great-rewards-a-tribute-to-the-works-of-d-alexandra-porter-vocal-creator%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
Maybe since it is a challenge would be the reason for minimum of 100 words, but I agree with you a poem is a poem no matter kind or length. Great work.
A just question, Mikeydred! As an enthusiast of the sonnet, haiku and senryu, I do hope that this arbitrary constraint will vanish in due course.
I think the 100-word minimum for poetry challenges is about consistency among entries, to make them equal. It would be rather unfair to consider a haiku and some extensive 100-200 word poem in the same challenge since they belong to different categories in terms of length. Would you think a Drabble and a 2,500-word short story should be in the same challenge? Certainly not. They belong to different categories. That’s why there are separate challenges where they ask for a haiku specifically.
I’m a compression junkie, and I think many of my best poems are fewer than 50 words. I would love to see a poetry challenge with a 100 word maximum instead of minimum word count.
I think it's completely stupid.
AMEN